


How The Armor Fell

by kangelique



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, Inspired by Once Upon a Time (TV), Missing Year (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-04-30 10:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14494845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kangelique/pseuds/kangelique
Summary: Returning back to Storybrooke after a year has come and gone, Emma and Henry are reunited with Snow white and Prince Charming,and Regina only to have a few days of peace before Emma is to step into her role as the savior again to figure out the mysterious disappearances going on around town while also having to come to decisions on her family,herself,and most importantly,what she wants.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi,everyone!. So,I'm new here and this is my first time writing fan fiction for well,anything really. I've recently grown to be so in love with the TV show ' Once upon a time' and Killian and Emma's relationship evolution through the seasons even though they are no longer seen in season 7. The story will revolve around season 3 and all the seasons after that,but for now I am mostly focused on season 3 and adding things of my own here and there to Emma's decision to stay in Storybrooke after the missing year and them finally coming back .I'm still not sure how many chapters I will be doing since I'm very new to this and still a bit lost in where I will be going with this,but I know I do intend for it to be more than a few chapters or short one shots.This will all revolve in Emma's point of view only. Alright, no more stalling. Hopefully you like it!. Thank you for giving this a chance, it means a lot to me.

CHAPTER 1:  
Heart And Mind  
Emma walked along the hot sand as the water seeped in,causing the sand beneath her toes to become moist as it rolled back into the current and left her with the after-feel of the wetness on her skin. The wind moved her hair to the front of her shoulders,and her neck slightly coward at the suddenness of it. But then she sighed,loving the feel of the light breeze afterwards to accompany with the blazing sun that always seemed to be in Storybrooke even after a curse had ended.  
She looked down as part of her hair went to cover her face, bringing her arms around herself despite the fact that she was wearing her red leather jacket,and it wasn't the slightest bit of cold yet. But somehow it made her feel better.  
"Swam!"<  
She turned around at the sound of Hook's voice,seeing him running toward her,his boots parting the sand. She turned her head back,continuing her walk normally until he caught up to her and fell into pace with her long strides,compared to the short steps she had been taking before.  
"Walking quite fast there,love. I see my devilishly handsome looks have now put you on edge."  
She looked over at him as he sent a smile her way,raising an eyebrow. Emma sighed,stopping in her step and bringing her arms down to put her hands into her pockets.  
"What do you want Hook? I come over here, away from everyone, so I can get a clear mind and you decided to..to.."  
She didn't know what right word to put for her annoyance into something more polite,so she turned around and began walking the other direction. He followed behind her,and she figured there was no use trying to out-walk him.  
"Decide to what?. Is bother the word you were looking for,Swam?. I do truly apologize for my interruptions of you and your thoughts of wanting to run away,but your family was worried about you,and frankly,so am I. They didn't know where you'd gone to."  
Emma stopped walking,digging her feet firmly into the sand as she glanced at him briefly and then turned her eyes over to the water.  
"I'm not running away." She told him,and he shook his head,squinting his own eyes against the sun while using his metal hook to scratch his chin as they both looked at the water,glistening in a calm,careful blue.  
"I don't run away."  
"But is that not what you're thinking of doing right now?,"  
"Don't pretend like you know me." Emma said,looking back to him,a serious expression on her face as his eyes met hers. Hook took a step forward,not breaking their gaze,and she took a step back,letting the contact fall as she turned her head back to the water.  
"You're right. I don't pretend,love," He agreed,turning his body to face her while she kept her position,refusing to look at him,feeling as his blue eyes burned into the side of her cheek.  
"And if there is anything I am,it's nothing more than straightforward."  
"Oh. Great," Emma said dryly, releasing an insincere chuckle. " I see you still hold your ability to rank yourself high, so I guess people don't-"  
He interrupted her,cutting off her sentence as he stepped up closer to her,almost nose to nose,just a few inches from her face,staring directly into her eyes.  
"People don't what,Swam? Change? Well let me tell you that change doesn't have to come in a big sudden way. It comes in little ways with the help of time. None of us are the same since you left. And arrived,for that matter."  
She inhaled sharply,taking a step back from him,but he used his hook to catch her wrist and gently pull her back.  
"Hook-"  
"No,Swam. You need to realize it because everyone else can see it,but you can't. You didn't remember us. No memories,no recalling,nothing at all,but we did of you. And now you have them back and-"  
She pulled away from him,tucking a strand of hair back and dropping her hands down to her side,releasing an exasperated groan.  
"I do,Hook! I remember all of it! Every single thing that's happened since I got here. Henry remembers it. And I know,but we had a good life in New York. It-It-It wasn't full of evil curses,or evil queens,or dangerous quests to find Henry. I had him with me. We had an apartment,we were together. I never made the decision to give him up. For those short months I was his mother,completely. I had happiness,despite being an orphan all my life, I had him with me and that's what mattered!,"  
She closed her eyes,exhaling sharply, and then opening her eyes again to speak in a more calm,collected voice,but the frustration was there.  
"I-I want to go back. To keep living there,in New York. I want to continue there with Henry."  
He stepped forward as she released a puff of air.  
"You know the lad would never agree."  
"Of course I know,but I'm his mother. I know what's best,and this is best. For him. For his safety."  
"Is that so,love?," He asked,making her turn her head in his direction. "or maybe it's that it's best for you because then you wouldn't have to deal with the craziness that comes with this blasted town. You get to live a life there,about to marry that stranger monkey,that um...what was his name..it was um-"  
"Walsh." Emma clarified.  
"Oh,yes!," He snapped his fingers. "That one. The guy Walsh. Except none of it was real,love. It was all part of Regina's spell to brand you with a do- over."  
'Exactly," She said,harshly through gritted teeth as she stepped toward him,eye to eye. "I WANT that do-over. I want to feel happy. With my son."  
"You'll never be knowing your family is here. And neither will the boy. Like it or not,he knows this as home,"  
Emma sighed,dropping her gaze and fixating her eyes on the water instead,biting her lip. He was right. Hook was right. Henry would never go. Specially not now. And Regina would never let him leave again,either. Not now that they were back,memories and all.  
"Maybe you should rethink this,for the sake of your family. And for the sake of the boy,too. But mostly importantly, for your sake,love."  
"Doesn't matter, Regina would never let him go."  
"Aye,you are right." He nodded to that. "But for all it's worth,maybe leaving isn't what you really want."  
She breathed out softly as he left his lips parted but didn't say anything;he kept his eyes on her as they stood there quietly,and then he dropped his eyes to her lips and she turned away,back to the water. A minute passed with her not responding,and he finally raised his hook to scratch his chin,taking a step back.  
"Come to Granny's tonight."  
"What?," she turned towards him.  
"Granny's tonight. Dinner. Everyone will be there celebrating the overdue return of you and the boy. You get to relax a bit,simply dining for an hour. And in the meantime,you can use this time to think."  
She scoffed, "Not with you here."  
"I'm going,love." He said,and then began retreating back. She looked down at her hand,shaking her head,and then seeing out of the corner of her eye as he came back toward her,turning her head as he was suddenly close to her face,his mouth right by her ear,startling her as he whispered:  
"And there really was no day that went by that I didn't think of you."  
The word 'Good' echoed through her mind,and he turned around at the same time she dropped her head to grasp the pendant around her neck,hearing him call out from a distance:  
"I'll see you later,Swam!."


	2. Of Time And Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So,Hi!. Chapter 2 officially here. Originally,I hoped to be able to finish to be able to post it on Friday but my writing progress turned out a bit slow during the week as I tried to find even the smallest amount of time in my day to write it along. But I am also glad it took me longer because this chapter is certainly longer than the first one,and I am a bit of a sucker for long reads. It's the first thing I look for when beginning to read a new fan fiction story,so I do feel proud having this come out longer. Anyway,hope you like it!.

Chapter 2:  
Of Time And Walls  
The bell from Granny's diner jingled as the door was opened,and Emma stepped in,letting the door close behind her with a little click. Her eyes roamed over the place; the smell of hamburgers, fries,and cocoa being given out filling her nose in a familiar scent; the pumping music coming from the old fashioned jukebox in the back filled the room with a lively feeling to go along with the conversations of everyone chattering within themselves as some moved around,laughing,smiling,and setting their plate of food down on a table to just relax and happily eat.  
Emma spotted Henry seated next to Regina at the counter with a cup of cocoa and cinnamon on top; her parents, Prince Charming and Snow white, were behind them,happily talking with each other, all smiles and laughter as they came to be joined by Ruby and Leroy. Her eyes settled for a moment on the large bump that was visible on Mary Margaret,along with the maternity clothing,and weight that had been added to her frame; she had only noticed just now even though they had been back a few days ago. Except now she could really take it in. The whole town in one place again.  
Hook caught her eye across the room,where he stood by himself,leaning against a wall. She half-smiled when he raised his glass,trying to tell her something that she could only make out as ' Swan'. She saw him push off from the wall to straighten up and then go settle his empty glass of rum on the counter. The minute she saw him begin to turn around was when she turned herself around to walk out the door; Hook probably too drunk to follow.  
The night air greeted her with a slight new chill,making her aware that Autumn would be in soon. Just a few days before, everything had been normal. Henry and her would have noticed the slight new chill in New York and probably would have gone into a nearby coffee shop to get hot drinks to go and then walk around the city until they emptied their drinks and decided to head back to the apartment for dinner,or a late lunch.  
She sighed as she came to a stop in front of Mary Margaret's door ; the door she had walked in through countless times until they decided to become roommates back when she first arrived in Storybrooke. And also the door she still happened to have a key to. Her memory went as far back to her in a tight pink dress walking into her apartment in Boston,the soreness on her feet from her heels in coming into an empty home from catching a skip on her birthday. And the blurred memory of a pink frosted cupcake. Had it been pink?. Or yellow?. No,pink,with the lonely single candle on top to mark her 28 years of life that she had just been about to blow. Then everything had changed in an instant. Having Henry back. Coming to Storybrooke. Finally meeting her parents. Graham. His death. The evil queen. Slaying a damn dragon. Being thrown into another realm. Going to Neverland. Rescuing Henry. Memories erased. It was all so much that-  
"Emma."  
Emma looked up from her seat on the stool,where she had been sitting,deep in thought,now to see David and Mary Margaret walk in;David holding one of Mary Margaret's hands and the other supporting her back while she held one of her hands to her stomach.  
"Why are you here by yourself,Honey?," Mary Margaret wondered as Emma stood up,rubbing her hands together and going over to help her sit down while David pulled out a chair for himself. Emma remained standing; David and Mary Margaret looked at her with piqued curiosity.  
"Is everything alright, Emma?," David finally asked when she still didn't saying anything. Instead,she looked at them for a moment and then spoke.  
"Uh,Da-dad,mom, I wanted to talk to you about me and Henry. And New York. And coming back to Storybrooke."  
"Yes,we're listening." Mary Margaret responded with an added soothe to her tone that Emma recognized.  
"Uh..." Emma began but found she couldn't say anything with Mary Margaret's belly bump fully in her line of vision. Their warm and hopeful but also slightly concerned expressions there too. And underneath that...happiness?. Happiness at finally seeing her after a year gone?. Was it happiness?. She didn't know. She knew the minute her memories had come back that she missed them. But right now what could she say?. What had she even wanted to say in the first place?. She couldn't remember.  
'Honey,whatever you want to say,just tell us. We're your parents. We will listen." David assured her,and for a second she wanted to cross the space between them and let him hug her. To cradle her head like a little girl in her father's arms. To whisper comforting words into her ear about lies that everything would be alright,everything would be okay. Those few times he had hugged her,she had felt a sense of safety,of something also close to belonging,almost close to caring. A feeling every foster home had lacked in more ways than one. It would always be lacking,she knew. That feeling could just not come easy anymore.  
"Emma?"  
She looked up.  
"Sorry," she said. "I'm just tired. It's been a rough few days."  
"Oh,do you think you need to lie down?," Mary Margaret suggested,beginning to rise with a grunt.  
"No!," Emma said,motioning for her to remain seated. "No,Mary Margaret,it's fine. I'm fine,don't worry."  
"Well,are you sure? Where will you and Henry sleep? We do have that bed over there..."  
"No,really,it's fine. It's all covered. Henry will be staying with Regina. They haven't seen each other in almost a year,so I imagine she'll want to spend time with him. And also all of his old stuff from his room is there too."  
"But what about you?," David asked as she adjusted her jacket and felt her pocket to check if she still had her keys on her.  
"I'll be fine,I'm crashing at Granny's," she responded,moving around them to quickly turn the knob on the door. "But,Emma-" "I'll see you in the morning!," she called and then the door slammed shut behind her. She sighed,leaning against it for a second before pushing off and heading down the stairs two at a time. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. The message alert from her phone is what awoke Emma to turn around,face buried into the pillow and letting out a sigh as she blindly reached out her arm to the nightstand by her bed to grab the device. Thinking it was Henry, she turned on her back to bring herself upright and unlock her phone,pulling down the rubber band that had kept her hair in a ponytail to let it come down in its mess. She rubbed at her eyes,sniffing,and then reading the message:

Meet us at Granny's diner in fifteen -Regina

She put her phone back on the nightstand and untangled her feet from the blankets,pushing back to slide herself out of the bed and go into the room's bathroom. Mentally calculating how much time she had to really get ready,she decided to skip the shower and just brush her teeth,splash water onto her face,and head straight over to her suitcase to take out her fresh pair of black jeans and beige-colored turtleneck sweater. She then moved to take her heavy makeup to the bathroom's sink where she opened it and carefully laid out some of the products around to pick one after the other without having to rummage through the bag multiple times,eating up her time.  
Applying her primer first all over her face to smoothen out the texture of her skin,she then moved to apply the foundation and add the concealer fairly after.  
First dabbing a bit of concealer on specific places on her face,focusing mostly on the dark circles underneath her eyes that gave away how much she hadn't slept last night,running the rest of it in a gentle motion with her hand. She tried to do the eyeliner faster, since it always seemed to take up the most time with all the mishaps she would have; ones she remembered happening frequently when she was first learning and even times after that to now when she still hadn't had her morning coffee.  
The mascara came quicker as she gave her eyelashes upward strokes in fast but careful lifts,avoiding any unwanted smudges that always left her with wanting to throw the tube across the room for how fast she tried to be. Everything after that came faster as she finished doing her eyebrows,and then she looked down at the little tube of pink lip gloss she had first unconsciously taken out,but now decided to put it back into the bag and just leave her lips as they wore, only adding chapstick on them to protect from any sudden cold weather that could choose to come. Once finished, she gathered everything up and put it back into the bag, the clashing of product after product as they came to rest on each other.  
Finally zipping the bag,she gave one brief look at her reflection before walking out the bathroom and finishing her look with the jacket. Picking up the bug's keys and phone,she opened the door while stuffing them into the pockets of her jacket and finally closing the door to descend the stairs that led to the diner.  
Emma was taken aback by the sight of David and Mary Margaret seated on the other side of the booth,opposite of Regina and Henry;taking in the large stack of pancakes and tea cups around them mixed in with the syrup and sugar on the side,along with Henry's usual cocoa with cinnamon that even Regina was having as Emma saw from afar as she chattered with Henry,turning now and again to David and Mary Margaret's incline in the conversation. So I'm late,Emma thought,walking over to them and coming to a stop in front of the booth. Their conversation immediately stopped as Regina set her cup down,and Henry,David,and Mary Margaret turned to her smiling. She smiled back at them as best she could,standing there awkwardly for a few seconds until Henry stood up and put his arms around her waist,making her smile more real as she hugged him back.  
"Good morning,mom. Did you sleep well?," Henry asked as he let go,and Regina scooted over a bit to make space for Emma.  
"I did,kid,and you?," she asked him back as she sat down and briefly returned the smile that David and Mary Margaret gave her.  
"Yeah, I did, didn't realize how much I missed my room,all my old stuff there. Although adding an x-box wouldn't be so bad either?," Henry suggested, turning toward Regina who smiled back at him and ran through his hair in motherly affection.  
"We could." Regina said.  
"Don't spoil him too much." Emma said with a pointed look at Regina,directing her eyes toward the phone that contained all of Henry's purchased video games from before Emma arrived in Storybrooke.  
"Well I see you woke up on the right side of the bed today, savior." Regina said and then put her cup down again, " But thank you for letting him stay with me."  
It took her a moment to gather her thoughts and shake her head before responding at Regina's different directed tone.  
"You're his mother too." Emma replied,sincerely.  
Regina picked up her cup again with a tight nod and they resumed eating as Mary Margaret began shoving forkfuls of pancake into her mouth with David bringing the tea up to his lips. Ruby came by to take Emma's order,and Henry sparked up the conversation again by talking about their time in New York and all the famous sights they had gone to see together. Emma recalled all of them,smiling.  
"Yes," David said. "Henry was just telling us about all your adventures in...what did you call it?"  
"The big apple." Mary Margaret answered,helping him out while Regina mumbled 'Of course an apple' under her breath.  
"Yeah,the big apple,Emma. Anyway,it sounds like you two had a lot of fun while being there." David said,smiling.  
"Yeah. We did." Emma nodded shortly,almost breathing the words out.  
She leaned forward,elbows at the edge of the table, and cleared her throat.  
"So,uh,has nothing been-".  
The door to Granny's diner was suddenly flung open,and Leroy came bursting in with two other dwarfs behind him,all panting hard and wearing panicked expressions. Emma,Regina,and David immediately stood up from the table,hearing their loud entrance and causing everyone in the diner to drop their breakfast.  
"IT'S HAPPENED AGAIN,SISTER!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's it. Hopefully you enjoyed it and I'm more than happy to hear your opinion on it. And also thanks to the one who told me about Emma's surname mistake (last chapter) . Helped me be a bit more careful on my editing check this time. Appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay,so that was the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and please tell me if you like it or any questions you may have as to my writing. Any doubts you have or if you saw any grammar corrections because I am trying to get better on my grammar since that is obviously a huge part of being a writer. Again,thank you and I'm still not sure but I plan on posting new chapters every Friday,but will see how that works out.


End file.
